Water tight and air tight rooms for ships



July 21, 1964 R. D. SMITH WATER TIGHT AND AIR TIGHT ROOMS FOR SHIPS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1963 2 s p H s w z July 21, 1964 R. D.SMITH 3,141,438

WATER TIGHT AND AIR TIGHT ROOMS FOR SHIPS Filed June 24, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,141,438 WATER TIGHT AND AIR TIGHT ROOMS FORSIHPS Robert D. Smith, 2742 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, N.Y. Filed June 24,1963, Ser. No. 289,850 3 Claims. (ill. 114-68) This invention relatesgenerally to ships and vessels. More specificially it relates to waterand air tight compartments on ships and vessels, and is an improvementon applicants patent application Serial No. 231,140.

One object of the present invention is to provide a ship having all theoutside rooms on all decks incorporating means whereby the rooms may bemade air and water tight in time of emergency thus permitting thesealing of air therein and providing a relatively thick layer of airaround the outer portion of the hull, whereby the ship will be secureagainst possible sinking at sea.

Another object is to provide a novel means whereby doors to a room maybe made water and air tight in time of emergency, and wherein such isaccomplished by use of an auxiliary door.

Still another object is to provide a novel means whereby portholes orother openings in the hull may be quickly and efliciently sealed in timeof emergency.

Other objects are to provide a water and air tight construction forrooms on a ship which will not interfere with the normal use of the roomwhen there is no danger at hand.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view of a shipincorporating the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of certain elements used in theconstruction of one of the rooms.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view through 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a hole or porthole sealing device.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view through 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of hole sealingdevice.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view through 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view in cross section of a doorwayincorporating the present invention.

FIGURE 9 is a similar view in an alternate position.

FIGURE 10 is a cross sectional View through 1010 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 11 is a cross sectional view through 1111 of FIGURE 9, and

FIGURE 12 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG- URE 11 showing amodified construction.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 19 represents a shipaccording to the present invention wherein there is a hull 11 having aplurality of decks 12 on each of which there are outside cabins or rooms13 formed by means of walls 14. Each of the outside rooms is formedhaving an integral casing 15 surrounding the room, the casing beingbuilt into the walls, decks and hull which surround the room as shown inFIGURE 1. This casing is made of waterproof rubber 16 having several plyof canvas cord 17, the rubber being encased on both sides by rubberadhesive 18 which preserves the rubber and cord of the casing fromdeteriorating and drying out. Openings 19 extend through the rubber andcanvas cords and allow the adhesives on opposite sides to communicate.Canvasses 20 on the outer sides of the adhesives encased this structureas shown in FIGURE 3. A conventional wall structure 21 is built on thein- 3,141,438 Fatentecl July 21, 1964 ner side of the casing to make atypical room and conventional structure 22 is built on the outer side toenclose the casing. Pipes 23 extend from an air compressor 24 on the topdeck to the lower part of each room. Valves 25 are provided forselectively admitting air.

A sealing unit 26 serves to seal any porthole, window or hole torn intothe hull and thus stop shipping of sea water into the ship. The unitincludes a pair of air sacks 27 having central air compartments 28connected together by a tube 29. A tension coil spring 30A on the outerside of the tube normally urges the tube to compress in length thusdrawing the sacks together. An air hose 3%) from the compressor deliversair into the sealing unit. Windows are first removed before installationof this de vice in window openings.

In FIGURES 6 and 7 a modified sealing unit 31 is shown wherein there isonly one air sack 32; an air hose 33, a rod 34 connected at one end tothe sack and at the other end being slidable on an arcuate bar 35. Asimilar tension coil spring 36 merges the sack and bar together.

It is to be noted that air pressure gauges can be placed in the pipes 23so that increased amounts of air can be forced into the rooms forgreater buoyancy.

As shown in FIGURES 8 to 12, the doors leading into the rooms have meansfor being sealed air and water tight. Doorway openings 37 are made inthe walls 38 of the casing and doors 39 are mounted upon hinges 40secured to the casing or adjacent wall structure. An area of the casingwhich surrounds the doorway opening is made hollow, having a sealed airchamber 41 enclosed within a rubber shell 42. A groove 43 is provided onthree sides within the opening into which a security door 44 may slide.The fourth side of the opening has an open slot 45 through which thesecurity door can move from a position from within the air chamber (asshown in FIGURE 8) to a position within the doorway (as shown in FIGURE9). Thus the security door being larger than door 39, slides in grooves43. A head 46 on three sides of the security door fits within narrowergroove 47 at bottom of grooves 43 for additional tight fit.

An expandable air sack 48 is located within air chamber 41 and an airhose communicates therewith. This air sack is positioned so that whenthe security door is within opening 37, the air sack is at the rear edge49 of the security door. When the air sack is inflated with air as shownin FIGURE 11, it will seal the rear edge of the door preventing airescape from the room. As shown in FIGURE 10, the air sack in collapsedposition is of bellows like configuration, the front face 50 of whichmay contain sealing compound for tighter security if preferred.

In a modified construction shown in FIGURE 12, the security door 51 isof wedged configuration so that when it closes opening 52, the wide rearportion of the door fits tightly between walls 53 and 54 of the shell.These walls are of laminated construction having a conventional outerpanel 55, a yieldable rubber panel 56 on the inner side and the portionadjacent the slidable security door has a metal lining 57 for improvedslidability.

In operative use the security doors are first moved into the doorwayopenings to seal the rooms after which valves 25 are opened to force airin the rooms. If the hull has a hole torn therein, a sealing unit isinstalled in the hole to stop leaking of water therethrough.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, suchchanges will be within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a ship the combination of a hull having a plurality of decks, aplurality of adjacent rooms on each deck, said rooms being formed bywalls within said hull, one wall of which is adjacent the outerperiphery of said hull, said rooms being completely enclosed within ayieldable rubber casing formed within said walls and decks, means forpiping air into said rooms, said rooms including access doorways forentry thereinto, said doorways each comprising an opening through saidcasing, a recess within said casing adjacent to said opening forreceiving a security door slidable ,from within said recess to withinsaid opening for closing said opening, said casing having a hollowchamber surrounding said opening and said recess, means for supplyingair into said hollow chamber for increasing the air pressure within saidhollow chamber so that said casing exerts pressure against the top,bottom and front edges of said security door to form an air-tight,watertight seal, and a bellows shaped air sack within said re- 15 cess,means for supplying air to said air sack, said air sack in an inflatedcondition being in a position adjacent the rear edge of said door andexerting pressure thereagainst to form an air-tight, water-tight seal.

2. In a ship the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a sealingunit is provided to close openings in said hull, said unit comprising apair of inflatable air sacks, a tube between said air sacks, a tensioncoil spring around said tube for longitudinal compression of said tube,and air supply means for inflating said air sacks.

3. In a ship the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a sealingunit is provided to close openings in said hull, said unit comprising aninflatable air sack, a rod aflixed at one end to said air sack, theother end of said rod being slidably aflixed to an arcuate bar, atension coil spring around said rod normally urging said bar toward saidair sack and air supply means for inflating said air sack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS512,866 Colomes Ian. 16, 1894 1,022,688 Mazzolini Apr. 9, 1912 1,240,414Brooke Sept. 18, 1917 1,243,427 Knox Oct. 16, 1917 2,127,871 KozlofiAug. 23, 1938 3,019,754 Welshausen Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 576,690Italy Mar. 10, 1958

1. IN A SHIP THE COMBINATION OF A HULL HAVING A PLURALITY OF DECKS, APLURALITY OF ADJACENT ROOMS ON EACH DECK, SAID ROOMS BEING FORMED BYWALLS WITHIN SAID HULL, ONE WALL OF WHICH IS ADJACENT THE OUTERPERIPHERY OF SAID HULL, SAID ROOMS BEING COMPLETELY ENCLOSED WITHIN AYIELDABLE RUBBER CASING FORMED WITHIN SAID WALLS AND DECKS, MEANS FORPIPING AIR INTO SAID ROOMS, SAID ROOMS INCLUDING ACCESS DOORWAYS FORENTRY THEREINTO, SAID DOORWAYS EACH COMPRISING AN OPENING THROUGH SAIDCASING, A RECESS WITHIN SAID CASING ADJACENT TO SAID OPENING FORRECEIVING A SECURITY DOOR SLIDABLE FROM WITHIN SAID RECESS TO WITHINSAID OPENING FOR CLOSING SAID OPENING, SAID CASING HAVING A HOLLOWCHAMBER SURROUNDING SAID OPENING AND SAID RECESS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYINGAIR INTO SAID HOLLOW CHAMBER FOR INCREASING THE AIR PRESSURE WITHIN SAIDHOLLOW CHAMBER SO THAT SAID CASING EXERTS PRESSURE AGAINST THE TOP,BOTTOM AND FRONT EDGES OF SAID SECURITY DOOR TO FORM AN AIR-TIGHT,WATERTIGHT SEAL, AND A BELLOWS SHAPED AIR SACK WITHIN SAID RECESS, MEANSFOR SUPPLYING AIR TO SAID AIR SACK, SAID AIR SACK IN AN INFLATEDCONDITION BEING IN A POSITION ADJACENT THE REAR EDGE OF SAID DOOR ANDEXERTING PRESSURE THEREAGAINST TO FORM AN AIR-TIGHT, WATER-TIGHT SEAL.